This invention relates to paper sizing formulations and more particularly to aqueous alkaline solutions of polymers of styrene and maleate half eaters for such applications.
Alkaline salt solutions of high molecular weight styrene-maleic half ester copolymers for sizing paper are known. See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,024, issued Aug. 17, 1993 where C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 alcohols are used in forming the maleic hair ester. Ease of synthesis of these polymers without loss of sizing properties is of continuing interest in the paper sizing art.